This Burning Passion
by homra-kid
Summary: "I'm a ghoul, Kei. Pretty shocking huh?" He teased while the humans in front of him scrambled. He really couldn't let them get away. If they did, the doves were sure to come after him and he couldn't risk that. Sighing dramatically, Kuroo turned his gaze up to the gray skies above him. "Well, the charade was fun while it lasted." Pairing: Ghoul!Kuroo x Human!Tsukishima


**This Burning Passion**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Haruichi Furudate and Sui Ishida.

**Warning: **Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, fluffy and also some mild OOC-ness, crossovers… and timeskip's… If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Music:** "It's You" by Super Junior & Henai no Rondo by GRANRODEO

**A/N:** I finally started watching Tokyo Ghoul and after I got to episode 5, I couldn't get the idea of crossover Ghoul!Kuroo x Human!Tsukishima so I wrote it. It was a choice with no regrets. Haha! Shingeki no Kyojin reference! 8D

**Things to know: **Obviously, Kuroo is a ghoul. He's older than Kei by four years and there is some underage content going on. Akiteru is in here too so instead of using Tsukishima, I'm writing using both their first names, Akiteru and Kei. We clear? Also, a bit of OOC-ness because this isn't a regular Haikyuu story or else they wouldn't be so emotional but how can you not be when Kuroo is a ghoul and Kei is a human and they're the main pairing?! Okay, let's get the show on the road!

**Edited 11/1/14**: I went back to do some grammatical checks and to fix some scenes here and there.

X

X

Kuroo remembered the day he met Akiteru and Kei Tsukishima like it was yesterday. Even after six long years, the memory was still crystal clear in his mind and he smiled softly at the recollection, his face devoid of the usual banter everyone (both ghoul and human) were so accustom to seeing. It was a memory he was quite fond of really. Despite the initial trials along the way, Kuroo honestly wouldn't have changed anything about the path he took to get to where he was now and he pressed his face against Kei's short blond hair as his thoughts drifted back to the time he first appeared in the Tsukishima brothers lives.

Like any other cliché discussion pertaining to first meetings, it had been showering lightly one fine day but not enough that it required an umbrella. Just a hoodie was sufficient for the average person but most stragglers had one or the other and in Kuroo's case, he had none at all. The ghoul had quite literally knocked into Akiteru the moment he stepped out of the alleyway and onto the streets after he disposed of his meal for the month. It was an accident of course but a fourteen year old Kei wasn't having any of it and boldly stopped him before he could walk away casually without causing any more disturbances for the time being until his next hunt.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Kei glared at his back. "It's common courtesy that you should apologize when you run into someone, you know?"

The cutting edge in the blonde's voice left Kuroo a bit surprised and he stopped in his tracks, just barely looking over his shoulder at the offending human who had the nerve to try and provoke him after he just killed a man in cold blood.

Beside Kei, Akiteru shifted nervously next to his younger brother, clearly at a loss on what to do about the situation that had everyone's full attention and all eyes on the blond. "Kei, it's alright. He was probably in a hurry, now come on we need to get home."

"No, I'm not leaving." Kei replied sternly. "Not until he apologizes to you." He declared.

"Kei…" Akiteru begged him but the younger blond was stubborn and kept himself firmly planted to the ground he stood on, refusing to budge unless his demands were met.

The fighting spirit in Kei's eyes reminded Kuroo of a blazing fire. It was enticing to say the least, like a moth to a burning flame and he slowly began to smirk at the other's bold actions as he turned around to gaze at the pair fully. "No, he's right." Kuroo said, walking up to Kei with a soft chuckle. Now that he was closer, he could see how tall the human boy was, right up to his chin and by the looks of it; he wasn't done growing and would probably end up being taller than him within the next year or two much to Kuroo's annoyance.

"Oi." Akiteru took a cautious step forward, his hands falling to his brother's shoulders to keep him from lashing out.

"I'm sorry, Kei was it?" Kuroo grinned, his eyes glinting with pure, utter excitement. It was almost hard to control the shift as his pupils dilated but he held fast. After all, it'd be bad news for him if he was discovered as the local ghoul.

In response, Kei's glare intensified and he released a low growl that made the ghoul's grin widen even more.

"There, I apologized. Are you happy now?" He teased, enjoying the reactions he was getting out of the younger boy.

"No." Kei seethed. "The apology was meant for my brother and your sorry excuse for an apology was pathetic and so are you." He spat before he wrenched himself free from his brother's grip and began walking away. He was annoyed that much was clear and Kuroo mentally laughed.

"Ah! Kei!" Akiteru yelled after him but his younger brother ignored him with ease. Turning around to gaze at Kuroo firmly, he bowed his head quickly. "I apologize for his behavior, he's had a bad day so please don't mind my brother."

Kuroo waved it off though. He was unfazed by Kei's attitude and if anything, he found it rather cute but he wasn't about to admit it and in front of the boy's older brother of all people. Even he knew when he was crossing the line and that one was one he wasn't prepared for. Not yet at least. "Ah, kids will be kids. I won't hold it against him, so don't worry." He said. "I'll see you two around I guess, later!" And just like that he walked away, smiling. Food followed by entertainment, it was one of Kuroo's favorite pastimes.

His last remark wasn't meant to be taken seriously though. It had been said jokingly to be honest and Kuroo highly doubted that he would ever see them again. He wasn't expecting to either but like a magnet, he later found himself naturally drawn to Kei one way or another.

When Kuroo spied the young blond from a distance one fine evening, a two weeks from when they first met, he noticed a man stalking the young boy walking home. Out of the goodness of his heart, he told himself that night, he took it upon himself to dispose of the crook while at the same time getting a bite to eat. It was the least he could do for garnering such a response from the kid during their first meeting and it was one less child molester on the streets so he felt like he was doing society a favor by taking him out and using him to fill his stomach.

The third time Kuroo laid eyes on Kei; the boy was seen taking shelter under a tree in the park. It was raining again and from the looks of it, he was waiting it out, seeing as he had no umbrella with him to use. With nothing better to do, Kuroo approached him finally and the moment he was within Kei's range of sight, the human boy frowned at him instantly.

"It's you again…" He glowered.

"Yup, it's me alright!" Kuroo waved at him happily. "Surprised you even remember me!"

"Go away."

"Hey, that's a bit rude don't you think?"

"Your company is unwanted, now leave me alone and go bother someone else." Kei snapped.

"A little vicious aren't you..." The ghoul sighed. "So, waiting for your brother?"

Kei sighed with huff. "Didn't I say to go away?" He glared warningly at him this time but Kuroo wasn't deterred by him.

Now if he was a ghoul, that'd be a completely different story but luckily he wasn't and Kuroo mentally sighed with relief at that thought because boy would it be troublesome.

"Alright, alright, how about we start over?" Kuroo finally suggested. "Would that make you happy?" Unfortunately Kei didn't bother giving him a reply; instead he turned his nose up into the air and crossed his arms tightly against his chest, appearing stubborn if not bratty. _'What an ice prince…_' Kuroo thought to himself. Seeing that he wasn't going to be given a response any time soon, Kuroo took the situation upon himself and he immediately shot his hand out towards the blond, alarming the boy. He was going to win him over one way or another if it was the last thing he did. "The name's Kuroo Tetsurou, eighteen and a drop out, what's your name?"

Hearing this bit of information, Kei slowly looked back at him before his eyes fell down to stare long and hard at Kuroo's extended hand, half unconvinced and vigilant. A little too thoughtful for the ghoul's cup of tea but then again, Kuroo himself understood the value of being careful in this day and age. After all, he was pretending to be a human and he really didn't need people like the doves coming after his ass if he slipped up in his acting. He needed to play it cool, play it normal. Whatever _normal_ was…

After a long moment of silence, much too long for Kuroo's liking; Kei eventually reached out, his hand grasping his own as he began to shake it, abide reluctantly. "Tsukishima Kei…" He finally replied. "Fourteen…"

"Tsukishima, huh?" Kuroo smiled, releasing a mental sigh of relief. "That's a nice family name, a bit of a mouthful but it has a nice ring to it."

Kei ended up blushing at his comment and he turned his head away quickly again with a muttered thank you. If Kuroo wasn't a ghoul, he probably wouldn't have heard it but thank god for keen senses—hearing included. Seeing the human boy's ears turn obviously red, Kuroo instantly began to relish in his successful venture of embarrassing the boy, if only a little.

"Ne, how do you feel if I call you Tsukki for short?"

"What?!" Kei exclaimed, surprised and this time he wasn't hiding how mortified he was by the idea. It made Kuroo snicker at him.

"What's wrong with that?" He grinned.

"It's lazy and disrespectful, don't you think?" Kei returned to glaring at him.

"No, I don't think it is and it's a nickname. It's what friends do."

"Friends?" Suddenly, Kei's attitude turned sour and he clicked his tongue with obvious disdain at the very idea, something Kuroo took note of. "We're hardly friends."

"Oh-ho-ho?" Kuroo arched a brow at him, bewildered by his sudden change in character. Before he could get another word in, the sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention and he turned around to find a winded Akiteru running up to them.

"Kei! I-I'm sorry it took me so long." He said, breathless, dropping his umbrella next to him.

"You were at work." Kei shrugged. "No big deal." He said readily, walking up towards the older blond and staying as far away from Kuroo as he could.

When Akiteru finally took notice of Kuroo, surprise was written all over his face. "Um, were you with Kei this entire time?"

"Ah, well sort of…" Kuroo laughed while Kei just glared, unamused. "I just thought I'd keep him company you know, and introduce myself properly since we got off on the wrong foot and all. I'm Kuroo Tetsurou by the way."

"Oh, Tsukishima Akiteru, it's nice to meet you again." He bowed. "Thank you for looking after him for me."

"Hey, no problem!"

"Yes it is a problem…" Kei muttered but he was promptly ignored, at least by Kuroo while Akiteru just glared at him before giving him a long lecture about respecting strangers.

X

X

Every now and again, Kuroo would engage in conversation with Kei whenever he caught sight of him around town, however the latter always appeared miffed whenever the ghoul invaded his personal space. To him, Kei was an interesting person to pass the time with, since he had so much of it on his hands. Even if Kuroo was given the cold shoulder, it hardly fazed him. No matter how rude Kei was, the ghoul always came back for more. It was a raging cycle, one that Kuroo enjoyed a little too much.

"You're a masochist." Kei mentioned one day.

The two were at the park and as usual, the boy was sitting around waiting for his brother with a book in hand and just like the last time, Kuroo had come around to bug him as well as keep him company until the latter appeared. They were becoming a common sight in town actually and although Kei would make a face at the very notion, even complain about it, he never out right rejected it either.

"Only for you." Kuroo grinned and it made Kei nearly drop his book. "What?"

The blond stared at him, bewildered. "What are you? A pervert?"

"Huh? No!"

Kei rolled his eyes. "Seems like it to me."

"I'm not!" Kuroo insisted but Kei gave him a skeptical look.

"You're eighteen, you're almost considered an adult and yet you're hanging around me like a leech instead of with other people your own age." Kei said, turning the page of his book. "It's kind of creepy, don't you think?"

"Ehh…" Kuroo wasn't so sure how he felt now that such a topic was being brought up. He could, lie, he supposed. "Well, I—people my age aren't as interesting as you are Tsukki!"

"What do you mean?" Kei asked, snapping his book shut. It was getting a little too strenuous for him to continue reading with a guy like Kuroo around him.

"It's exactly what I said." Kuroo replied. "You're interesting. You and your brother and I like interesting people."

Kei growled at him but he didn't say a word. Instead, he looked away, flustered.

"Besides, I bet I can change your bad attitude and turn it around somehow." The ghoul added. "Tsukishima Kei, I'm going to take you under my wing and show you how great life can be!" He declared and instantly the boy's jaw fell open.

"Absolutely not." Kei countered but the sound of clapping from behind the pair took their attention from each other away.

It was Akiteru.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Kuroo-san." The older Tsukishima said.

"Really?" The both of them said, Kuroo blinking in surprise while Kei just shook his in disbelief.

"Of course! Ne, Kuroo-san how would you feel about looking after Kei after school while I'm at work?" Akiteru asked, smiling. "You two are always together now, and I trust you enough since you've managed to tolerate Kei's attitude so well."

"Aniki, I'm fourteen! Almost in high school!" Kei interjected. "I don't need a babysitter!"

"Nonsense!" Akiteru ruffled Kei's hair playfully with a chuckle.

"Akiteru…" Kei begged.

"So what do you say, Kuroo-san?" He asked, clearly ignoring Kei's pleas and Kuroo just about laughed at the display but he held it in to the best of his abilities.

"You kidding me, I accept!" The ghoul announced proudly.

And at that moment, Kei wondered if the whole world was against him and took pleasure from his misery as his head sank down to his knees with a drawn out groan of utter despair.

X

X

From then on, Kuroo gradually became a familiar face in their lives. For once, being a freeter was great. It made for having a lot of free time anyways and with that time, he spent it on babysitting Kei much to the boy's displeasure while Akiteru worked hard to earn a somewhat steady income for Kei and himself to live on. From what Kuroo could gather about the two, life was rather difficult for them since all they had was each other.

The topic of their parents (or at least family in general) seemed to be a taboo in their tiny apartment and most of the pictures on the walls consisted of mostly Akiteru and Kei together. Only one photograph stood out amongst the rest and it was a picture of a young woman with what looked to be baby Kei in her arms and a much smaller Akiteru beside her.

Kuroo asked only once who it was while he was hanging out at the apartment and the way Kei's face turned grave astounded the ghoul even to this day.

"She's our mom, obviously. I don't remember her as well as I should but Akiteru does so we keep it. I don't see why we should though…" He muttered that last part and after the discussion, Kei ended up holing himself in the bedroom until Akiteru's return several hours later.

Kuroo never brought up the topic of their mother ever again after that and no thanks to him; Kei became withdrawn for a long time.

It'd been taxing, more so than usual whenever Kei fell into a state of emptiness and constant apathy. Akiteru could only do so much to ease whatever pain his brother felt and at one point, Kuroo finally wanted to tear his hair out. The blond was a piece of work—always locking himself up in his room while the ghoul hung out in the apartment living room, alone with nothing to keep himself busy except for a cup of coffee and basic cable.

"What should I do, Akiteru?" Kuroo asked before leaving for the day. "Kei's been a big blob of nothing for the past two weeks and it's all my fault." He grumbled, clearly disappointed in himself.

"Well…" Akiteru rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if it will help but maybe tomorrow, you can take him to the park."

"The park?" The ghoul arched a brow at the blond in question. "I've suggested it before but he rebuffs me every time."

"Then give him a reason."

"Like what?"

"Try volleyball." Akiteru smiled. "I used to play it with him a long time ago but since having to work so much, we haven't had time. You know how to play right?"

"Y-yeah…" Kuroo replied looking away. He knew how to play, he guessed, but the things he learned about the sport were mostly from watching the games that were shown on the televisions in the store window displays. "I know some moves I suppose."

"I think that's good enough." He beamed. "We have a volleyball in the closet so when you come over tomorrow, take it out, I'm sure it'll be enough to persuade Kei to go to the park once he sees it."

And the next day, Kuroo did just that. The look on Kei's face was priceless and the ghoul really had to hand it to Akiteru for knowing just what to do even though he wasn't in a position to physically do it himself.

Being particularly tall for a fourteen year old, blocking seemed to be a natural ability that was geared into Kei's mind. Receiving on the other hand, was a different story and quite frankly, Kuroo turned out to be just as good at both though he had to struggle a little in the beginning before getting the hang of it all.

"I've been practicing with Akiteru for years…" Kei grumbled, on their way back to the apartment.

"Aw, you mad?"

"No."

Kuroo acted like he didn't hear him though and grinned. "Don't be jealous Kei, it could be that I'm just a natural."

"You mean you picked it up faster than I did." Kei corrected him but he stopped in his tracks after repeating the ghoul's words in his head. "You called me Kei…"

"Uh—oh, umm… Is that okay?" The ghoul asked, feeling somewhat awkward now. "Can I call you by your first name? It's okay right? If not, then…" Kuroo's voice trailed.

For a long time, Kei stared at him, thinking. Kuroo swallowed, nervous about what he'd gotten himself into and just as he was about to stamper out an apology, Kei opened his mouth. "Its fine, Tetsurou…" He said, voice quiet and Kuroo's eye's widened.

Slowly but surely, the ghoul began to smile and walking up to Kei; he tilted his head slightly before reaching out and ruffling his hair. "Finally opening up to me huh?"

And instantly Kei glared, reaching up to push his hand away. "Don't push your luck." He said and Kuroo just shook his head, all the while still smiling at him.

X

X

Despite the hardships that Kuroo could only imagine Akiteru and Kei had to live through though, he knew there were still good moments in their lives too. It was in the relationship the brother's shared. Even though Kei had a tendency to be indifferent to everything around him most if not all the time, Kuroo could tell that he cherished Akiteru more than anything. Akiteru was the center of the boy's world and in some ways Kei was beginning to show that he cared about Kuroo too—after months of constant nagging and hanging out with the ghoul against his will.

It made Kuroo feel warm and fuzzy inside whenever he managed to win the human boy over. When Kei did things for him, like cooking for example (even though Kuroo was technically unable to digest it), it just about set his heart aflame. Sadly, being a ghoul and all, it was stressful trying to fake his repulsion for human food but for Kei and Akiteru, he forced himself to swallow down whatever they served him. Only later, when they weren't looking, he would sneak away to barf it back up but always with a hint of regret in the back of his mind.

He wasn't human, Kuroo always knew that. He'd been resigned to his fate as a ghoul for a long time but in Akiteru and Kei's presence, he wanted to forget that about himself for a while and live. They made him feel less of a monster and more like he had a heart.

X

X

"P-Please, please don't eat me I'm begging you!" The man exclaimed, his hand held out in a hopeless attempt to keep what little distance there was between him and the ghoul in front of him. His body shook terribly, dark brown eyes wide with fear. "Please spare me!"

"Spare you?" Kuroo cocked his head, sneering. "Sorry, but I've got certain requirements for my meals and tonight you fit the bill, congratulations." He grinned cheekily. "Honestly, it should be common sense to people that it is wrong to abduct innocent children and force them into becoming sex slaves, you know?" He sighed. "Even I'm not that sick and I'm a ghoul."

"I-I'm sorry!" He screamed, falling to his knees but all Kuroo did was laugh. "Please, I'm sorry! I will never do it agan!"

"No, no you're not sorry." Kuroo said, shaking with maniacal laughter. "I'll make it quick, just for you." He smirked, his kagune unwinding, lengthening as he turned it into a sharp point and flicked it several times.

In front of him the human trembled, crying. He had nowhere to run, completely trapped and now…

"Thank you for the meal." Kuroo whispered, licking his lips and he sent his kagune forward, plunging through his victim's chest with a sickening tear of flesh and blood.

X

X

"Kuroo-san, wait a moment please." Akiteru said, closing the apartment door behind him.

"Hmm?" Kuroo stopped in his tracks. "What is it?"

"Kei's birthday is coming up."

"Huh?" Instantly the ghoul brightened. "His birthday? Then that means he'll be fifteen right?"

"Yes, and I was wondering if you would celebrate it with us." Akiteru asked. "It'll just be the three of us though, I hope you don't mind." He chuckled lightly. "Kei doesn't have any friends at school but he isn't into big celebrations either so he'll be content doing something small, I'm sure."

"That's totally fine by me. I really don't mind." Kuroo smiled. "Besides, it's nice when we're all together." He added, nodding. "When's the party gonna be?"

"This coming Saturday, the twenty-seventh." Akiteru replied. "Think you can make it?"

"Why are you even asking? Of course I'll be there!" The ghoul exclaimed.

"Good, I expect you to!"

"I will! Ahh—what do you think I should get for him as a present?" Kuroo asked suddenly.

"Ohh—well…"

"Strawberry shortcake you think?" The ghoul wondered aloud. "No wait… how about something to do with dinosaurs?"

"Heh, Kuroo-san…" Akiteru laughed timidly. "If you think too hard you might hurt your head. You have a week, so there's no rushing unless you're the type that shops last minute."

"But I don't want to shop last minute." He grumbled.

"So I guess you are that type."

"Not this time, I really don't want to be, not for Kei…" Kuroo said and Akiteru blinked, surprised.

"You know, I think whatever it is you get for him, Kei will treasure it. Even if it is something incredibly simple and plain." The older Tsukishima said gently and Kuroo just stared. "He may not have said anything but he likes you, I know he does."

"Eh? Like?" Kuroo's eye's widened. "What do you mean like? Like, like, like or just like?!" He exclaimed but Akiteru just stood there grinning like an idiot.

"Good luck finding a present for Kei-chan, Kuroo-san!" Akiteru shouted happily and he ran back inside before the ghoul could stop him.

"Ah! Akiteru you didn't answer my question!"

X

X

It was the first time that Kuroo was shopping for someone's birthday other than Kenma.

From observing alone for the past few months, Kuroo realized now that he knew quite a lot about Kei despite the teen's lack of sharing information about himself. He knew that Kei loved eating strawberry shortcake, it was his favorite food and as crazy as it was, the teen could eat the stuff at any hour of the day. He knew Kei enjoyed playing volleyball, he liked music, sang in the shower and he had a collection of dinosaur figures sitting on a shelf in his shared bedroom with Akiteru. In fact, he was very interested in dinosaurs and the prehistoric era in general. Kuroo guessed he had a lot of categories to choose from at least, but it still made it a little challenging for him to pinpoint the exact kind of present he wanted to get for Kei.

"It has to be something special…" He whispered under his breath as he sat there on a bench at the mall.

In front of him, Kuroo looked up to find a store dedicated to movies from the looks of it and the thought of animal documentary's came into his mind. It was worth a shot, he guessed, shrugging. Documentaries were interesting, informative and Kei was actually a sucker for things like that, surprising as it was. So upon venturing into the store and browsing the shelves, Kuroo actually didn't quite make it to the documentary section in the end. No, instead he was stopped by the sight of a box set cover of a skeletal tyrannosaurus rex and the title, Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy underneath it. As he stared long and hard at the movie in front of him, an idea came to mind and gradually, Kuroo began to smirk.

X

X

"Happy birthday Kei!" Both Akiteru and Kuroo exclaimed, the pair clapping.

"Thanks…" The now fifteen year old teen mumbled. Looking down at his lap, he tried to hide the growing blush on his face but Kuroo went and pulled at his cheeks playfully.

The ghoul earned a sharp slap to his hand as a result, but he laughed it off while Kei's face burned even more.

"I hope you don't feel too old for candles." Akiteru said, presenting a rather large strawberry shortcake in front of the birthday boy. "Think you can make a wish?"

"Y—yeah, I can." Kei said and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes while Akiteru lit the candles one by one.

"Alright, we're ready."

Kei quite honestly didn't know what to wish for but thinking about his life so far, Kei didn't want it to change now that he was at peace. He was going to school, coming out of his shell in some ways he guessed. He also had Akiteru and Kuroo… He had Kuroo in his life now… The thought of the older man made Kei's breath hitch and without even thinking of a specific wish, he blew out the candles in front of him.

Akiteru and Kuroo clapped a second time and when Kei opened his eyes, he found himself gazing at the dark haired male next to his older brother.

"Shall we open presents now?" Kuroo suggested.

Akiteru gave a thoughtful look before turning to his younger brother. "Kei? Do you want to?"

"I don't mind." He shrugged, looking away for a moment.

"Guess that's a yes huh?" Kuroo asked and Akiteru nodded.

"Well, since I'm his older brother, I get to go first!" The older blond exclaimed, raising his hand.

Presented with what looked to be an ordinary glasses case, Kei peeled back the red bow that was tied around it and opened it. He was stunned by what he saw and looking up instantly at his brother, Akiteru smiled softly. "These are…"

"Yeah, sports glasses, I know. And they're in your prescription." He chuckled, ruffling Kei's hair. "I know it was hard for you to want to do any club activities during middle school, what with the move and all but now that you're in high school, I hope these encourage you to join clubs like volleyball. I know you want to Kei." He grinned. "And I know you'll be great so make me proud little brother!"

The next second, Kei got up from his chair only to throw himself into his brother's arms, embracing the older man tightly. "You won't be disappointed." He mumbled and Akiteru nodded, hugging him back.

It was quite the heartwarming sight; even Kuroo thought he was about to shed a tear or two.

When the brothers pulled away, their moment finished, the ghoul finally stepped forth to present his own gift to the birthday boy. Of course, to get to the actual present, Kuroo had placed it within a box, within a box, within a box, making Kei work for it. By the time the blond got down to the third box, he glared dangerously at Kuroo, all the while the ghoul and Akiteru stood back, snickering devilishly at him.

"You'll pay for this…" Kei seethed but once he managed to finally open the final box did he stop grumbling and just went wide eyed.

Akiteru of course perked up at his brother's reaction, curious. "What is it Kei? What did Kuroo-san get you?"

"Yeah Kei, let's see it." Kuroo added.

"It's a trilogy…" Kei murmured quietly. "They made a third one… I didn't know that…" He kept mumbling and Kuroo smirked.

"Kei, what is it?" Akiteru asked again and this time it prompted Kei to pull out the present, his expression still in a daze. "Oh! It's Jurassic Park!"

"It's a trilogy box set!" Kuroo corrected him. "Shall we have a marathon?"

And Kei all but nodded silently in agreement. Even though it was hard to tell, he was happy… Oh so very happy and Kuroo gave himself a mental pat on the back. Score! The ghoul's mind screamed and while Kei sat back down in his chair smiling, Akiteru went down to work on slicing the strawberry shortcake.

After scarfing down the vile slice he'd been handed and washing down the taste with a can of ice coffee, Kuroo settled back on the couch in a cold sweat. He cursed himself inside, feeling slightly sour but it was for Kei and Akiteru, he reminded himself. They were worth the trouble…

When the brothers joined him, Akiteru already having popped the movie into the DVD player, Kei sat in the middle with his brother on his right and Kuroo on his left. With the couch being just big enough to fit the three them, Kuroo honestly liked how close he was sitting to the teen.

"Ne, Kei."

"Hmm?"

"If you get scared, just hold onto me." Kuroo said, grinning. "I won't mind a bit."

At this Kei glared and next to him, Akiteru smiled though Kuroo suspected something a tad bit sinister behind it so he mumbled a quick apology.

When the movie began to play, Kei was completely engrossed. Every now and again, Kuroo peeked at him from the corner of his eye, intrigued by the look of concentration the teen wore. He'd made a pretty good decision, Kuroo thought, smiling to himself. Despite the film being made in the nineties, the ghoul had to hand it to the special effects during that time period. It was great and on several occasions, the suspense made him stiffen up with great anticipation. The scene of the goat leg dropping onto the car especially had Kei jumping back against him, so Kuroo snuck a hand around his waist to pull him closer. The two sat that way for the rest of the film, with Kei pressing himself against Kuroo and Kuroo always squeezing him closer as reassurance.

After the end of the first film, Akiteru asked if they were up for the second one but upon seeing his younger brother and Kuroo snuggled up, he stopped and stared at the pair until Kei pushed himself away from the ghoul, flustered.

"I see you two were quite comfortable, huh?" Akiteru remarked.

"Indeed we were!" Kuroo added, humming contently at the end.

"Just shut up and put on the next movie…" Kei grumbled and Akiteru did just that.

Unlike the first time where Kei unconsciously moved into Kuroo's space, the teen was mindful this time around. It made Kuroo feel a little disappointed but upon watching one of the characters being bitten and devoured in half by a pair of tyrannosaurus rex's, he saw Kei frown before finally settling against him once more. This time, Kuroo threw his arm over Kei's shoulder. On any other day the blond would have scolded him or pushed him away but he didn't, allowing them both to enjoy the moment and continue watching the rest of the film.

Honestly, watching dinosaurs eating people put Kuroo a little on edge. Despite the awful substances (chips and a slice of strawberry shortcake) sitting in his gut, the ghoul's mouth watered a little at the sound of gurgled cries of horror and blood spraying on screen. It'd only been a week since his last meal but he really needed something to chew on, something to keep his mind distracted from the thought of eating human meat. A can of ice coffee could only do some much, Kuroo thought looking down at the bitter drink he left sitting beside his foot. With a short sigh, he reached down for it anyways, taking a long drink to quench the salivation in his mouth. It was better than nothing he supposed.

As much as they wanted to tackle down the last remaining film in the box set, it was honestly far too late to continue on with their movie marathon. Although Kei wasn't willing to admit it, he was tired and the kitchen still needed cleaning, Akiteru mentioned. Kuroo, being the guest wasn't exactly obliged to help with the cleanup, but he did it anyways until the older Tsukishima shooed him out into the living to do the dishes himself. With nothing to keep him busy, the ghoul figured it was best to leave and hurry home to where he had a small stock left in his freezer in the case of an emergency.

Saying goodbye to Akiteru was one thing, it was simple since the older man was busy cleaning but Kei was another story and Kuroo's senses heightened when he was walked towards the front door.

"So, how about next weekend, we watch the last movie together?" Kuroo grinned, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"Yeah, sure." Kei agreed readily though the awkward shift between his feet made the ghoul consider the thought that the teen might be nervous.

Kuroo could only imagine why though, so he stringed it along expertly. "Don't watch it without me, alright?"

"Pft, why? It's my present, so I can watch it without you if I want to." Kei said, crossing his arms, defiance glaring off of his glasses. "You know, I may even spoil the plot for you." He added, smirking.

"Aw, Kei…" Kuroo whined. "If you do that it'll be unfair because then I won't be able to enjoy watching you be surprised."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means, you may not cuddle against me and I liked it a lot tonight, you snuggling up to me that is..." Kuroo said, almost serious as he frowned.

"And who says I won't do it again?" Kei asked in a quiet voice and for a moment, Kuroo's eyes widened and the two of them stared at each other.

There wasn't much to say after that and although it was hard for Kuroo not to assume anything, he felt like everything was laid out for him now. All he had to do was tread carefully but for the moment, it didn't seem to matter. One step forward was all it took, one step and he leaned over, kissing Kei's cheek. It was an affectionate gesture, it couldn't be mistaken for anything else, he thought and it was only the beginning. Yes, only the beginning.

When Kuroo pulled away, he smiled, enjoying the way Kei's expression instantly twisted into that of embarrassment. He then watched as the teen immediately went to pressing his hand against the spot he'd kissed, making a choked noise as he stared down at his feet. He was probably in disbelief, Kuroo figured.

"Until next time, Kei." Kuroo winked, turning on his heel and walking away. It was better to leave now than hurt the teen's pride even more.

Kei stood there of course, still flabbergasted but once he got his grip on reality again, he stared after Kuroo's back, watching the older man wave goodbye. "Uh—yeah, umm… Next time…" He replied under his breath, his cheeks still baring a hint of a blush left over. "Definitely, next time…"

X

X

Kuroo was sure Akiteru had been keeping a close eye on him and Kei after the teen's birthday lately.

Although they were subtle glances and sudden appearances whenever the two of them were alone, the older Tsukishima was being overly observant, more so than usual. It made Kuroo slightly paranoid and what probably made it even worse was that Akiteru had yet to say anything about it. Actually, it wasn't just with them but with everyone and everything around them. Akiteru was over analyzing everything, and Kuroo didn't honestly have a clue why.

"Ne, Kuroo-san?" Akiteru asked him one day, just the two of them on the apartment balcony while Kei sat inside studying at the table. "Are you interested in Kei?"

The ghoul gasped the moment the question was asked, his body stiffening up. "I-Interested?! As in how? Eh, heh, heh…"

"You know what I mean." Akiteru smiled, leaning with his back against the rail.

"Oh, you mean that way, huh?"

"Mmhmm." He nodded his head.

"Do you want the lie or the truth?"

"I think we both know I want the truth, its only polite."

"Fine…" Kuroo sighed. "I am interested in Kei that way…"

"I knew it."

"But since he's still underage, I swear I won't do anything unsavory until he is at least seventeen!" He said quickly but Akiteru shook his head.

"That's a complete lie."

"Uhh—well…"

"Just be discreet." Akiteru suggested, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn.

At this, Kuroo's jaw fell open. "Are you giving me permission to date your brother?"

Akiteru winked. "Maybe."

And the ghoul just about died inside only to be resurrected. Was hell freezing over?!

"You only live once, Kuroo-san." He said. "And besides, I know Kei is interested in you too." He added, gesturing towards his brother and Kuroo turned towards the teen, watching him slave over his homework with a pair of headphones on. "You should ask him out since we both know he won't do it—not without encouragement at least."

"You sure?" He asked quickly, still uncertain. He cared about Kei greatly, he wouldn't dream of hurting him but…

"Of course I am." Akiteru replied confidently. "Other than myself, there's no one more suited to take care of him than you, Kuroo-san."

"Akiteru…"

Settling a hand on Kuroo's shoulder, the older blond gave it a firm squeeze, reassuring the ghoul once more. "You have my permission, so go get him tiger." He said, smiling softly before leaving Kuroo to his thoughts and navigating his way back into the apartment without Kei's notice.

Watching Akiteru head straight for the bedroom down the hall, Kuroo realized then that other than standing outside, he was virtually alone with Kei who was just sitting around studying. He'd been given a golden opportunity, one that couldn't be wasted.

Taking in a strong breath, Kuroo marched back inside in a show of confidence. But deep down, his heart was pounding. With Kei's back to him, banging his head slightly to whatever song he was listening to, it made it a slight problem so Kuroo reached out and slid the headphones off. Kei of course was taken by surprise and being interrupted, he glared, opening his mouth with the intention to scold him but he didn't manage to get out a single word. Not when Kuroo's lips were pressed against his own to silence him.

"Be my boyfriend, Kei."Kuroo whispered against his lips once he pulled away.

Feeling Kuroo's fingertip graze his cheek, Kei was brought back from the initial shock of being suddenly kissed. It'd been his very first kiss, he thought to himself. Although he was still at a loss, Kei eventually nodded slowly, making Kuroo smile.

"Okay, I'll—okay…"

"Yes?" Kuroo asked, hopeful.

"Yeah, I'll be your boyfriend…" Kei mumbled, looking down slightly at his papers in a daze. Kuroo breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling content. Raising Kei's face up by gently tipping his chin back, he then kissed the blond again; all the while Akiteru peeked from the corner of the hallway with a tender smile.

X

X

After finally making Kei his boyfriend, Kuroo left the Tsukishima's with a smile brighter than the sun itself. Each step down the apartment stairs had a bounce to it and he hummed happily, grinning like a complete and utter fool. He felt great.

But his happiness could only last for so long as he caught sight of someone acting a little too suspicious for his liking in front of the complex. One whiff in the air and Kuroo froze, stiff as a rock. Human yes, but the scent of gunpowder accompanied him. There was a possibility that he was armed. The smell was familiar too, he'd smelt it before actually, several times around the area and twice in front the Tsukishima brother's door now that he really thought about it. He'd waved it off those times but now…

"Yo, old man." Kuroo grinned, his mouth lope-sided and devilish. "You've been quite the suspicious character around here, I've finally noticed."

The man glared at him. "Yeah? Well you must be blind kid, now get out of here. I bet your mother is looking for you."

Kuroo could already smell the sweat accumulating on the man's brow, most definitely nervous now that he'd been caught red handed. The ghoul just shrugged though, indifferent and he walked right up to him with ease. Of course the human stepped back, uneasy and upon closer inspection, the ghoul could see that yes, the man was indeed taller than him but he lacked muscle and it made Kuroo frown. Where was the meat? He thought with a click of his tongue.

"Tell me, what do you want with the Tsukishima's?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

The very mention of the name sent a wave of panic throughout the human's body. Before Kuroo could get an answer, he bolted and the ghoul just shook his head.

"So the name rings a bell after all…" He sighed, shaking his head in disappointment before he gave chase.

Catching the target was as easy as one, two, three but the problem was finding a place to interrogate him without any disturbances so after knocking him out, Kuroo took his unconscious body to an abandoned factory building. It was so typical but it was quiet and by the time the man woke up, Kuroo was on edge—excited since it'd been three weeks since his last meal.

"Now that you're awake, how about you start talking huh?" Kuroo asked, circling him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb…" The ghoul said suddenly, his voice dark. "You've been hanging around the apartment complex for a while… Your scent, both new and old is everywhere I finally noticed and you've been following Akiteru and Kei like a parasite."

"S—scent?" The man trembled horribly now.

"Yeah, scent." Kuroo tapped at his nose, sneering and this time he let his eyes do the talking, the color of his pupils shifting to crimson and the whites turning black.

"Ghoul!" He exclaimed. "You're a gho—!"

But Kuroo didn't let him finish the sentence. No, he rushed forward, covering the man's mouth with the palm of his hand and squeezing the sides of his face with his fingers just to contain the awful sound.

"Surprise, surprise, yes I'm a ghoul."

The human's eyes widened and he struggled viciously but Kuroo was strong. Immensely strong…

"Now that you know, are you going to tell me what I want to know? I won't eat you if you do." Kuroo said, smiling, lowering his hand slightly from covering the man's mouth completely but that turned out to be a mistake.

"You're a liar!" The human exclaimed. "A liar!" And he sank his teeth into Kuroo's hand in a desperate attempt to catch him off guard and run away.

Unfortunately, the results were far from pleasant and Kuroo growled. The bite didn't hurt him per say but it did piss him off enough to fling the human back into the wall without any form of restraint. A crash followed and then a cloud of dust after; with the air stale, there was barely a hint of movement and Kuroo could only assumed he'd either knocked him out or killed him. Oh well, he shrugged.

"Probably should have controlled my strength…" He said aloud, approaching the still body.

The scent of blood became thick in the air. One glance down at the figure, Kuroo could only assume the man had obtained a fractured skull no thanks to him—seeing a well-received gash to the back of the man's head and noting the splatter of blood. Licking his lips, Kuroo kneeled down, examining the body for any sign of life. Finding none, he began tearing away the human's clothes and once the flesh was revealed, the ghoul bit into the side of his abdomen and began to feast.

X

X

"I really should have kept him alive longer…" Kuroo yawned.

He was at home, in his studio apartment, belly full and appetite satisfied. It wasn't the most tasteful meal he'd had but food was food and he didn't have much room to complain about it. Lying in bed, he laid there staring up at the ceiling, wondering why such a person would be trying to monitor Akiteru and Kei. Quite frankly, it baffled him. He couldn't understand why but then again, despite his friendship with the two there was still a lot that he didn't know about them. Stuff like their past…

It was obvious they didn't enjoy talking about that kind of stuff either. Their focus was purely on the present and future. At least that was what Kuroo could see from his end and he didn't have the heart to nag them about it either. He figured waiting it out and letting them tell him was the best course of action but after this… He wasn't so sure anymore…

Next to him, his cellphone began to glow, curiously enough. It indicated a message and flipping it open, he smiled to find that the sender was none other than Kei. Opening the text, it read Goodnight. It was simple and straight to the point, typical Kei but there was an underlining sweetness to it that Kuroo felt warm his heart. Even though they had said goodnight before he'd left, Kuroo wondered if the teen was missing him now.

Typing up a reply with quick succession, Kuroo breathed long and hard. He'd clearly gotten himself in deep, he thought. Tonight's confrontation seemed to have opened a lot, he realized. Whatever that human's motives were, he wondered if it had happened before. Could that have explained the man stalking Kei around the time they met? It couldn't have been a coincidence…

"I'm definitely, going to get to the bottom of this…"

X

X

It'd taken a lot more persuasion than he thought, but eventually Kuroo was able to move into the Tsukishima household a few weeks after his confrontation with the human spy. His proposal included wanting to lighten the load for them and help out. He cited a number of reasons but his main argument was how it was a waste of money for him to have a studio apartment to himself when he already spent so much time at their place. He didn't want to push Akiteru into a rock and a hard place but it was for their own good.

From the outside, Akiteru saw it as a kind gesture but in truth, Kuroo was uneasy about leaving the two brothers alone but he wasn't about to tell them that.

After the skirmish, it seemed like Kuroo's suspicions were beginning to come into light.

It first began with the older Tsukishima himself and how wary he'd become once Kei moved on from middle school to high school. Kei could sense it too but neither of the siblings shared whatever it was that was troubling them, thus leaving Kuroo to take matters into his own hands.

The second event that tipped Kuroo off was when he began noticing the men in black suits hanging around town. Unlike the first two who'd been dressed casually, these people stuck out like a sore thumb. It made him apprehensive of their sudden presence, afraid that they were doves but upon closer inspection he was relieved to find that they were just ordinary humans, since they lacked the quinques most CCG investigators carried with them.

Still, it was no laughing matter, not when the target was Akiteru and Kei and they were far from ghouls. They were human and it bothered Kuroo to no end, the thought of them being hunted down, so why not protect what rightfully belonged to him? This was his territory, he reasoned and it was his job to protect it, even against humans.

Unfortunately, even after moving in and keeping a close watch on the brothers to the best of his abilities, Kuroo's involvement was a little too late, he came to realize later. And it made him wish at the time that he'd have met Akiteru and Kei much sooner than he did.

X

X

It had been gray and stormy so it was no surprise when the rain clouds began to settle in. Rain, it seemed like it'd been happening more often than not lately, and this day in particular didn't look like it'd be a simple walk in the park. Kuroo had been tense from the get go and at Akiteru's suggestion, the three of them went out despite his pleas to stay indoors.

"We'll just do a little shopping, no harm done." Akiteru laughed at him then but when they saw the men in suits at every turn the second they stepped out into the open, no one was smiling anymore.

First there was just one, then two, all of a sudden five and when Kuroo counted them all in his head, he knew they were surrounded. Akiteru knew as well as Kei that they wouldn't be able to run without getting caught and the ghoul watched, uncertain of what to do about the situation they were in.

"Kuroo, please take Kei and run." Akiteru said, his voice unwavering as Kei panicked beside him.

"What? You've got to be joking." Kuroo replied but Akiteru shoved Kei into his chest. His decision was made and he was counting on Kuroo of all people.

"I know you can protect him." He said smiling at Kuroo with pure confidence and the ghoul wondered at that moment, if Akiteru had known all along what he was, his eyes widening at the thought.

Just as Kuroo yanked Kei along with him and began running down the street, the first shot was fired and Akiteru fell to the ground, his blood splattering the concrete.

"Akiteru onii-chan!" Kei screamed behind them but Kuroo didn't look back, he couldn't and so he ran, tugging Kei next to him against the teens will.

There was no way they'd be able to escape, so Kuroo turned into the alleyway, dragging them deep inside were they couldn't easily be seen. He was going to fight. When he was sure they were as far into the passageway as they could get, essentially trapped, Kuroo then moved to push Kei behind him, shielding him from the various men that were approaching them from the front and encircling them. The sound of their heavy footsteps put the two on edge but Kuroo wasn't afraid. He was going to make them pay.

"It's too bad Akiteru went and took you away, young Master Tsukishima." The man in the front of the group said, taking his sunglasses off and pocketing them. He led the assault to closing the distance between them and the target, thus blocking off all means of escape.

"Don't you dare say my brother's name so causally…" Kei seethed, clenching his fists tightly. "You scum!"

"Only the strong survive Master Tsukishima, and Akiteru was weak. Your father knew that from the start which was why he chose you as his successor to the line. Your older brother made a terrible decision on his part to kidnap you from the main house, so it's only right that he pays for his defiance with his life." Another added, clearly unremorseful.

"No…" Kei stared, his amber eyes wide with fear. "I refuse, I won't go back! You can't make me!"

"But why?" A woman asked this time. "Why do you want to run away when you can have power?"

"Because it will be meaningless!" Kei retorted. "Why would I want a life where all I'll feel is dead inside?!"

And Kuroo just about had it. He didn't understand what the hell was going on but clearly, only Kei seemed to know the truth behind it and he swore under his breath that he was going to get to the bottom of it after he was done with the despicable humans.

"It's a bit rude to forget about little old me y'know." The ghoul said, throwing his head back as he began to laugh out loud, gaining everyone's full attention. When Kuroo looked up at the group in front of him again, grinning manically, his eyes shifted, revealing their true form as his kagune came to life.

"No way!"

"It's no wonder why we couldn't get a hold of Haiyama and Kozuki!"

"That ghoul probably ate them!"

It was such a commotion, all because Kuroo was a ghoul…

Kei slowly stumbled back until he was pressed up against the wall of a side building, frozen as the ghoul's red appendage curled and unwounded with excitement. "Ghoul… Tetsurou, you're a ghoul…" He whispered half in disbelief and half in astonishment.

Hearing this, Kuroo glanced over his shoulder, his red and black eyes softening at the teen who was struggling to comprehend the reality of the situation he was in. "That's right…" He replied, regret evident in his voice. "I'm a ghoul, Kei. Pretty shocking huh?" He teased while the humans in front of him scrambled. He really couldn't let them get away. If they did, the doves were sure to come after him and he couldn't risk that. Sighing dramatically, Kuroo turned his gaze up to the gray skies above him. "Well, the charade was fun while it lasted." He admitted and Kei gasped.

"Tetsurou, watch out!"

If he had been born a human just like Akiteru and Kei, life would have probably been easier for him, Kuroo was certain of it. He would have been able to do normal things, like go to school, hang out with friends and eat regular food like hamburgers and share a piece of strawberry shortcake with Kei but no, he was born a ghoul—a predator that couldn't live on anything else but coffee and human flesh. But as he dodged the bullet with ease, Kuroo realized that he was grateful to have been born a monster. Because if he wasn't a ghoul, if he didn't have such heightened abilities or his kagune, he wouldn't be able to protect Kei—he'd probably be dead and he smirked dangerously, using his kagune to propel himself forward for a counter attack.

Kuroo let no human escape him. It was a blood bath, one that he won with relative effortlessness. Licking the blood from the side of his lips, he peered at Kei, curious of the new perspective he was giving the teen but the blond appeared stoic, emotionless. And it startled him.

Only one human was left, still breathing but with the lower half of his leg torn off from the knee, he couldn't run away and Kei observed this with slight interest as he tilted his head at him in wonder. Silently, Kuroo watched the teen pick up the nearest gun and with the grace of an assassin, to the ghoul's horror; he approached the fallen man, releasing the safety in the process.

"No, please, Master Tsukishima!" He begged but Kei's face lacked the empathy needed to spare the life in front of him so he pointed the gun at the man's head. It was at point blank.

"You people took away my mother and then you killed Akiteru right before my eyes. You have no room to beg for your life. Not after what you've done to them…" Kei said, the gun held tight and firmly in his hand. "I'd ask you if you have any last words but you're undeserving… So die." And just like that, the teen pulled the trigger and the man fell back as blood spurted into the air.

It was almost strange to Kuroo, seeing Kei so composed and stained with blood. It looked almost natural, with the way the blond handled the gun and he began to wonder, if Kei was just as much of a monster in disguise as he was.

"It looks like they're all dead." Kuroo remarked, picking up the nearest body. "Sorry I couldn't leave any alive for you to interrogate." He added, examining the corpse's structure. Pulling apart the man's shirt to reveal his chest and belly, Kuroo saw how lean and muscular the body was, the healthiest human he'd come across in a long time. It made his mouth water at the sight and he smiled; hungry now that he made his first kill after several weeks of living off coffee and vomiting human food.

"If you're going to eat, either do it fast or save the body for later." Kei finally spoke, his eyes watching the ghoul carefully. "I'm pretty sure the police will be here any time soon and I don't think they'll be happy to discover that a ghoul was responsible for the carnage."

"Heh, I may have been the one taking all the fun but don't forget, you participated as well, the moment you shot him." Kuroo replied, gesturing to the man at Kei's feet as he licked his lips again.

The gun was still in Kei's hand, and although Kuroo knew in the back of his mind that he should be wary, he wasn't. If Kei was planning to kill him, he didn't care because it was Kei and he was an exception, Kuroo thought as he sank his teeth into the flesh. Just a sample, and then they would leave, his mind screamed, the bloody taste bursting across his tongue.

Above him, Kei witnessed for the first time, Kuroo's ghoul side feasting on a victim. It reminded him of an animal, like a tiger ripping into its kill but it wasn't the first time. He didn't know whether or not to feel disgusted due to Kuroo's lack of table manners or intrigued by the sight but if Kuroo came any closer to him, soaked in blood and reeking of human innards he was sure he'd be pointing the older man to the bathroom for a shower and thorough mouth cleansing.

When Kuroo moved in for a second bite, he stopped suddenly, just a hair away, his ears perking at the sound of a siren in the distance. Looking up at Kei, he knew he wouldn't be able to be around him now that he realized how starved he was and food was right in front of him. Several bodies in fact and he needed them. He needed them desperately.

"Kei…" Kuroo half growled. "I hear them, the authorities are coming and I'm beyond starving. You need to leave, go back to the apartment and wait for me. Do you understand?" He glared, cursing his primal need.

"Got it." Was all Kei said and he pocketed the gun, zipping his hoodie up to hide the blood spatter on his shirt despite the remnants staining his front and pants. He'd have to move quickly if he didn't want to be found out, he thought, wiping at his face. "I'll see you at home then?"

"Yeah…" Kuroo said, ripping into the chest.

This time, Kei shuddered at the sound of flesh being pulled apart but he nodded nonetheless and hurried out of the alley, leaving Kuroo to continue his meal in peace. When night fell and the chaos died down for the time being, Kuroo returned, his hunger appeased for the time being but unhappy because Akiteru wasn't there to greet him and he found Kei, quiet and grieving over the loss of his beloved older brother.

Kei was still dressed in his blood stained clothes from earlier, Kuroo noted after entering the apartment. He said not a single word to the ghoul and after spending a good ten minutes brushing his teeth from top to bottom; Kuroo eventually dragged the teen into the bathroom for a thorough shower. They both needed it.

Kuroo had never seen Kei bare and naked before and when he did, he half expected to see scrawny limps with no muscle mass but he was wrong. Kei was toned, not greatly but enough to show that he held strength for his age—that and scars. A lot of scars and when the blond stared at him under the hot spray, he slowly began to crumble to the shower floor, right in front of him; his tears washing away with the water showering above him. It was the first time Kuroo ever saw the teen fall apart and he joined him, embracing him tightly against his chest.

It was a complete mess after Akiteru's death. A complete and utter mess.

Kuroo was afraid of the doves coming after him once they caught wind of the massacre. The same group after Kei was sure to appear again as well since they obviously knew where the blond had been hiding. Neither one of them was safe on their own. And to think, Tsukishima Kei of all people was the successor to one of the biggest mafia's in Japan. Kuroo understood that he was a natural fugitive, being a ghoul but Kei—he could have it all, money and power but he didn't want it, he told Kuroo. It wasn't what Akiteru and his mother wanted for him and that much the ghoul could respect. It had been why Akiteru took Kei and ran away. He didn't want to see his only baby brother turn into a monster but it seemed like it was already a little too late in Kuroo's mind. The teen wanted a normal life, that much was certain but at this point, Kuroo didn't think it was possible any time soon, not when he still needed help, someone to look after him. And although Kuroo could admit it to himself, he wasn't ready to tell Kei that he needed him too. He always needed him, to help him see that he wasn't a complete monster.

"Kei, I'm planning to leave town and I want you to come with me." Kuroo whispered in the darkness, holding the teen closely to his body.

They wouldn't be able to bring much with them, they'd have to start all over but they would still have each other and that was what mattered most to Kuroo. The bank account Akiteru left behind was jointed to Kei's and Kuroo breathed a sigh of relief—they could get by, they had to. He'd make sure that Kei would be able to live the life he couldn't.

"Really?" Kei asked. "You won't leave me behind?"

"Do you want me to?" Kuroo replied and he stared at Kei's expression, watching it warp into a state of panic. He knew the teen's answer right then and there and he waited to hear it.

"No, I don't want you to leave me." Kei said, curling up into him.

It was a complete turnaround from when Kuroo first met him. If they hadn't grown so close, Kei would've probably refused to run away with him but now…

"You're the only one I have left, Tetsurou… So please, don't leave me behind…" Kei whimpered brokenly and it was then that Kuroo couldn't hold back anymore and he pressed his lips firmly against Kei's.

It was so wrong in so many ways. The absolute worse timing and yet being riddled with so much grief, left and right, they needed it. They needed whatever comfort they could get and they needed it almost desperately. The same as they needed air to breathe.

It wasn't long until Kuroo had Kei under him, writhing and moaning. They really shouldn't be doing this, he told himself over and over again. It was too soon, Kei was still just fifteen but he did it anyways, taking Kei hard but lovingly, pulling back and pushing in all the way until Kei was begging desperately for more. With each gasp the blond released, Kuroo swallowed it down with a kiss. With each thrust of his hips, Kei clawed and scratched at his back, leaving behind angry marks that healed within seconds. It was a beautiful sight, and the ghoul burned it into his memories, burned it so that he could always remember that it was him doing this to Kei and no one else.

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It wasn't hard, packing up and leaving the very next day and the place they ended up settling down in was the Miyagi prefecture after several hours with Kuroo behind the wheel. Other than getting an apartment, changing schools was another matter and Kei transferred a little later into the first semester at Karasuno High School once they settled in and unpacked. With it being a rather small town, it made hunting for Kuroo slightly challenging but he did his best to adjust to his new surroundings and preyed on the local criminals whenever he could. Either that or he traveled to the next town over.

With time, Kuroo watched as Kei eventually made friends, a small handful of them from the volleyball team. Yamaguchi Tadashi was a familiar face, a shy boy who seemed interested in Kei but Kuroo was territorial and made their relationship very clear from day one. Still, it was nice, seeing Kei act like the normal teenager he was supposed to be but he always kept his friends at a distance. Not too close but not too far away either. It was balanced.

By Kei's third and final year of high school, only once did the mafia return for him after the last incident. Only this time, they were more interested in taking Kei's life unlike the last time and they took the fighting into the woods where Kuroo easily disposed of them and hacked them to bits. He was stock piled for months after the battle and couldn't be happier, much to Kei's dismay since it meant they had to rearrange their freezer to accommodate Kuroo's food source.

Because of how remote the area was though, it didn't look like the doves would come around to investigate any time soon. Kuroo wasn't sure but it wouldn't be easy either, picking up and moving again that is when Kei had yet to graduate. He was at a crucial moment in his high school career and Kuroo couldn't bring himself to ruin it for him.

"Have you figured out where you want to go for college, Kei?" Kuroo asked from behind his human lover, resting his chin on top of the blonde's shoulder, the pair sitting up in their mattress.

"No, not yet." Kei sighed, closing his book; he dropped it onto the tatami mat next to their futon. "I thought we already discussed that I would just start working after graduation? Maybe even go to community college on the side."

"And be a freeter like me? Not a chance!"

"So then you lied…" Turning his head slightly, Kei leaned back, allowing Kuroo to stretch out and nuzzle him along the length of his neck. "Then what do you want me to do, Tetsurou?"

Kuroo purred at the mention of his first name falling from Kei's lip, smiling as he pressed his mouth against the blonde's pulse and nipped his skin there gently. It sent shivers through the blonde's body and Kuroo felt them, his hands working to wrap themselves around the other's waist to bring him even closer. "I want you to go to university and study. Do something you enjoy and want to learn. Like making music… Just live the way you want, live a human life for me because you know I can't."

"A little selfish, don't you think?" Kei gasped as Kuroo nibbled at his ear. "Asking me to live a human life for you…"

"I'm selfish, what can I say?"

"You could apologize?"

"Yeah, I don't think so."

"Why's that?"

"Because, why should I apologize when the reason I'm selfish is because I love you?" Kuroo asked.

His words undoubtedly stirred something in Kei despite the sappiness behind them and the blond stared at him from the corner of his eye before his amber hues softened. "Then don't apologize…" He said in a whisper, bringing their lips together.

"You know, I heard from my buddy Kenma that the 20th ward is a docile place." Kuroo murmured between each kiss. "There's an organization there, called Anteiku that provides ghouls in need with aide. We can go there." He added before slipping his tongue into the blonde's mouth. "I can stop killing for a while."

"Ahh—where is it then?" Kei moaned. "This 20th ward?"

"In Tokyo, so when you graduate, let's move to Tokyo, Kei." He said, twisting the blond around and pushing the teen down onto his back.

Feeling the press of the ghoul's groin begin to rut against him, Kei cried out. Damn it, it was a school night but shit Kuroo felt so good! "Okay, Tokyo! We'll move to Tokyo after graduation! Just—fuck, Tetsurou hurry up!"

Kuroo chuckled and he leaned down to kiss Kei's forehead before trailing down to his lips and kissing the teen there once more. "Not so fast Kei, just breathe a little and enjoy the fun."

When the ghoul's hand began sliding up under his shirt, fingertips ghosting over his sensitive skin until Kuroo reached up, pinching and twisting at his nipple, Kei's moans staggered before he whimpered long and hard. Kuroo smirked at this, enjoying the teen's response. He then pulled Kei's shirt up entirely, exposing his front completely and he licked his lips. Slowly, he descended upon his chest, his mouth attaching itself to his right nipple as his thumb played and circled the other one.

"Ahh—Ahhh! Damn it, Tetsurou quit teasing and fuck me already!" The blond hissed, glaring at his older lover. "It's a school night so don't waste time and just do it!"

"Guess we're done with the foreplay for tonight, huh?"

"Save it for another time, pervert." Kei huffed, throwing his shirt off and dropping it next to him on the futon while Kuroo crawled over him to grab the lube hidden beneath his pillow.

As Kei shuffled out of his pants and stripped down to his boxers, he was miffed to find Kuroo without a shirt yes, but still wearing his jeans. Even if they were hanging at his hips, unzipped and his undergarments pulled down far enough for him to leave his member hanging out, hard and free, it still didn't seem fair to Kei and he glared.

"Like what you see, Kei?" Kuroo grinned, uncapping the tube.

"No, because you're still wearing pants." Kei deadpanned.

"Well, you did tell me to hurry and this is me hurrying." Kuroo replied, lathering his shaft with a generous layer of lube. "You're still stretched from before right?"

"I—I should be, now hurry up!" Kei hissed, his hands scrambling to wrap themselves around the ghoul's neck as he brought him down for another kiss.

Spreading Kei's legs open, Kuroo crawled a bit closer until he pressed the head of his member against the blonde's heated entrance. Smirking into their kiss, Kuroo nudged his hole, once then twice, making Kei whine desperately against his mouth. When Kei pulled away, panting, it was then that the ghoul pushed inside, shoving his length all the way in until their hips were flush together. Kei all but screamed at the intrusion, his fingernails digging into Kuroo's back.

"Ahh… M—move already…"

"You sure?"

Kei nodded feverishly. "Yeah, Tetsurou!"

"You asked for it." Instead of moving gently, Kuroo pounded right into him.

Kei was already far gone, doing nothing to suppress his moans as the ghoul snapped his hips relentlessly. The neighbors were sure to complain and look at them differently, Kuroo thought but for the moment it didn't matter. Groaning into the blonde's neck, he licked away at the thin layer of sweat there. Kei's hands scrambled left and right from his arms to his back, holding him close, holding him lovingly as he met Kuroo thrust for thrust.

It was wild and the sound of sweat soaked skin slapping skin urged Kuroo on as he gripped Kei's hips tightly. He was getting close and he winced sharply when the blond squeezed around him.

Kuroo kept thrusting faster and faster—harder it seemed but it was what Kei wanted. With one hand, he trailed his way down Kei's body until he had the blonde's member in his clutches. Quickly, he began to stroke the hardened length, twisting his fist each time he went down on the head. If Kuroo stopped to tease Kei by slowing down and dragging out their love making, he was sure to get furious because that was reserved specifically for the weekends, not weekdays. And by golly, it was Wednesday…

"Kei!" Kuroo panted above him. "Where do you want it? Do you want me to come inside? Or—"

"Inside!" Kei snapped, his voice shaking.

"Yes, your majesty!" Kuroo groaned, thrusting erratically, completely out of rhythm as he stroked his lover's member faster, urging him to come first.

Arching his back off the futon, Kei came with an abrupt shout that Kuroo quickly swallowed down with a kiss. The two of them were near sobbing, their lips pressing desperately against each other as Kei's inner walls clutched him tightly. The ghoul's hand on his member gradually slowed down though, massaging the length until the blond was completely finished. With Kei a quivering mess, Kuroo returned to snapping his hips to completion and with Kei pulsing around him, he was eventually coming soon after, spurting until he was milked dry. Pushing in one last time, Kuroo's movements stopped and he held himself up with trembling arms.

"So good…" Kuroo whispered in his lover's ear.

"Shut up…" Kei winced and the ghoul leaned down to kiss him once more.

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The move to Tokyo was quite a shift. Having enjoyed the peaceful countryside for so long, the crowd and lack of space baffled Kei whereas Kuroo grew excited. More people meant a stable food source and unlike Miyagi, he had more opportunities to hunt if Anteiku didn't turn out the way he hoped. He drooled at the very idea but at the same time, Kuroo knew he needed to keep a vigilant eye. The 20th ward had more ghouls lurking around and he couldn't afford to let Kei wander on his own. He had to be on high alert. That and the likelihood of encountering the doves were much higher.

When Kuroo finally found Anteiku, he was surprised to find the organization headquarters disguised as a café. It was nice and he liked it even more that the staff were made up of all ghouls and for a lack of a better word, tolerant if not friendly (at least most of them were except for two). The manager of the establishment, Yoshimura was more than welcoming of his move into town. Kuroo respected him almost instantly but one of his underlings was a different matter, Touka Kirishima.

Although he introduced himself as a newly arrived ghoul in their area, he was careful to keep the subject of Kei out of the conversation. Kei was his only true weakness and Touka, whether she realized it or not hit a nerve when she brought up keeping his identity as a ghoul a secret from humanity.

"If anyone finds out, kill them or I'll do it for you." She warned and Kuroo gave her a brief, stone hard look of hostility. She was definitely not on his good side.

Other than her, Nishiki Nishio proved to be another obstacle, an snappier version of Kei he supposed but Kei was cuter and Nishiki was far from it. More like… Ehh, even he didn't know but it made appreciating Kei as a human that much greater to him.

With Kei enrolled at Kamii University and aiming for a degree in business, Kuroo returned to his freetering ways with his best friend Kenma by his side. The 20th ward was an interesting place. He didn't have to worry too much about a food source and Kei pursuing a career but it still had its dangers and that was probably what lay at the forefront of his thoughts for a long time.

In their new apartment, Kuroo held Kei loosely against him in their bed as he looked down at him with a stoic expression. When Kei grudgingly opened his eyes, his body feeling too hot, the look on the ghoul's face left the blond somewhat confused but considering that he was still groggy, he didn't want to assume what was going through Kuroo's mind and thus kept his mouth shut and waited.

"Hey, Kei?" Kuroo finally said his name.

"Hmm?" Kei hummed, throwing the blanket off his body but scooting closer until he was met with the sight of Kuroo's chest.

"Are you happy?" He asked, the hesitation in his voice clear as day as he reached over to stroke the back of Kei's head.

"What do you mean?" He mumbled, pressing his face against the ghoul's chest now. He was warm, and Kei didn't know if whether or not he liked it since he threw the covers off and wanted to let his body breathe.

Kuroo chuckled softly but it was hardly out of amusement, Kei made a mental note. "I mean, are you happy being with me?"

Typical, Kei thought as he rolled his eyes but Kuroo couldn't see it. Without thinking, he let the words roll off his tongue, naturally. It had to be said. "If I wasn't happy, I wouldn't be here now would I?" He said bluntly, challengingly as he finally looked up the ghoul with an irritated twitch.

At this, Kuroo blinked, slightly confused but then again, he should have expected as much since it was coming from Kei of all people. The guy hated wasting time and was usually sharp and straight to the point about everything. "True but..."

"Don't you even consider it." He interjected quickly, cutting the ghoul off.

"I didn't even get to tell you what was on my mind..." Kuroo glared lightly. How disrespectful to cut his conversation short, he thought to himself. "It's important."

"Well, you know what, I don't care." He glared back.

"Kei..."

"And while you're at it, don't even think about asking stupid questions like that ever again." Kei added and immediately Kuroo's jaw dropped.

For a long time, Kuroo laid there, the shock even more evident on the ghoul's face as Kei sat back and yawned like they didn't even have such a conversation riding on their relationship just seconds ago. Was he the only one taking their relationship seriously, he wondered. He was a ghoul and Kei was one-hundred percent human. There were dire consequences for harboring a ghoul, it was worse than taking in a fugitive, they both knew this. Although the 20th word was said to be peaceful, the danger was much more real than in comparison to Miyagi—for both him and Kei.

"We're already here, at least give it a year before you even suggest moving back." The blond continued, surprising Kuroo even more. It was like he'd effortlessly read the ghoul's mind. "It was your idea to come here from the start but if you really end up not liking it—then we can go back to Miyagi, deal?"

That was right, Kuroo had been the one to bring up moving to Tokyo in the first place. Even after all this time, Kei was still here with him regardless of what he was and the restrictions that were placed upon their relationship. They were enduring it together, Kuroo choked…

"Damn it, Kei..." He whispered, pulling the younger man close to him again. "I love you..."

Closing his eyes with a short sigh, Kei wrapped his wrapped his arms around Kuroo's neck and with a gentle push he brought their foreheads together in a loving gesture. "I know, I love you too..." He said and Kuroo moved in closer until their lips pressed together in a chaste kiss.

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**A/N:** There I'm done! You have no idea how long it's been since I've written this much and for a oneshot of all things! I feel like my interpretation of Kei was off at the beginning but I took a lot of consideration into the world I was putting him in so yeah, of course he ended up functioning that way! But obviously, he mellows out later if you read, and I tried to write him as in character as possible depending on the situation. Him and Kuroo…. Heeeee….

I actually have some head canons and more ideas bouncing around this crossover that I've created so yeah, I may eventually be drabbling more for it but it's hard to tell since I apparently fail at juggling fanfiction writing and art. Opps!

Until next time kiddo, kitties! :3

**Edit 11/2/14: **This was reedited to the best of my abilities. It's more or less still the same but type-o's were fixed as I went up and down 31 pages. Phew!


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